Office of the Spokesperson
The Department of State’s Zoohackathon promotes technology solutions, builds cross-sector collaboration, raises awareness, and empowers communities to combat wildlife trafficking. During 48-hour competitions, teams of university students, software developers, coders, graphic designers, and wildlife enthusiasts use technology to tackle wildlife conservation problems. At each local event — held at zoos, wildlife organizations, technology start-up facilities, and education centers around the world — judges choose a winning solution.
This year, the Department of State is proud to co-host the annual Zoohackathon in 16 cities around the world:
- Bogotá, Colombia
- Boston, MA; Cleveland, OH; and San Diego, CA, United States
- Cairo, Egypt
- Entebbe, Uganda
- Gaborone, Botswana
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Helsinki, Finland
- Hong Kong SAR, China
- Manila, Philippines
- New Delhi and Kolkata, India
- Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Vienna, Austria
Wildlife trafficking is a serious transnational crime that threatens security, undermines the rule of law, fuels corruption, robs communities of legitimate economic livelihoods, and pushes species to the brink of extinction. The United States is a leader in the fight against wildlife trafficking. In February 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13773, which highlighted wildlife trafficking as one of four priority areas in the effort to dismantle organized crime syndicates. For more information, visit www.zoohackathon.com or contact zoohackathon@state.gov. For more on the State Department’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking, visit the website for the Office of Conservation and Water.
